Sunday, January 3, 2010

Decision Time for Freddy Adu - Hull or Aris?

Last month it was reported that the new coaching regime at Belenenses was cutting loose young American footballer Freddy Adu. Adu was on loan at Belenenses from Benfica, which owns Adu's rights.

Adu made the move from MLS to Europe in 2007, but has only mad 11 appearances since signing with Benfica, which had loaned Adu to Monaco last season, scoring only 2 goals in that time. With the news that Belenenses was cutting Adu loose, and the apparent attitude that Benfica currently has no use for him on their squad, speculation arose that Adu might be returning to MLS, where he could finally see some increased playing time; however, a return to MLS appears unlikely at this point.

This morning, on his Twitter account, Adu indicated that he has offers on the table from Hull City in the EPL and Aris Thessaloniki in the Greek Super League. While it is good to see that European teams still have an interest in Adu, I'm not sure which of these clubs would be the best fit for Adu. Fellow American, Jozy Altidore, is currently at Hull, on loan from Villarreal, where he has made 15 appearances, but has yet to score. Altidore has had some bumps in the road in fitting in at Hull, but seems to be on the right course for more playing time. The presence of Altidore at Hull might help Adu to fit in quicker and learn the right route to earning playing time. That being said, Hull is only in its second season in the EPL and is currently in the relegation zone. While I'm not a fan of young Americans playing for relegation zone EPL teams, Hull's desperation to stay in EPL might make them gamble more on playing Adu. That being said, Adu's lack of playing time with the U.S. National Team means he probably will not be able to get a work permit to play in England.

Aris, on the other hand, is one of the biggest clubs in Greece. I admit I'm not very familiar with the Greek Super League or the style of play there, so I'm not sure how well of a fit Adu might be at Aris. Aris is currently in 5th place on the Super League table, so while they lack the desperation that Hull currently feels, Aris is in a position to make smart, calculated moves when bringing in players. If Aris is really interested in Adu, that is a sign that they want him on the pitch. Meanwhile, rumor surfaced last month that American Eddie Johnson may be headed to Aris on a loan from Fulham. So again, Adu would be teammates with any other young American, this time one that is in the same boat as Adu when it comes to getting back in the good graces of USMNT Coach Bob Bradley.

While I wish Adu was in a situation where he could take as much time as possible to study the styles of play employed by Aris and Hull, and feel out the attitude of the coaching staffs before making a decision, I don't think he really has much of a decision before him. As mentioned above, Adu's lack of USMNT playing time means he has little, if any, shot at qualifying for a work permit in England. Since staying at Benfica means not even suiting up, it looks like Adu will be in Greece by the end of January.

6 comments:

I don't know if Aris is the right place for Adu, but I'm fairly sure that Hull City is not for him.

He needs to get on the field someplace, anyplace. If he wants to work hard in practice and sit on the bench on the weekend, he can do that in Portugal.

If I were him, I'd drop down a division (say, in England or Germany) or move to Scandinavia. He has plenty of good years ahead of him, but he needs to taste success. He needs to prove to himself (and to others) that he is more than hype. If that means playing well in Denmark or Sweden, then so be it.

Aris and the Greek Super League may be a good fit for Adu. To start with, the team is stable, and they have one of the best coaches in Europe in Héctor Raúl Cúper. Talented players like Adu need very much the stability and tutelage that a good coach can provide. Eddie Johnson has already joined Aris. This may help as well. It will be interesting to see how this one develops.

Aris could be good for him, he has no place in the Benfica squad this season. The Greek club just signed Eddie Johnson earlier in the week. If he signs on a loan deal till the end of the season, they both could benefit with the other presence to help adaptation in the new club.

I'm a Benfica supporter and i hope that Adu can show off his talent in a continous form that will help him come back to Benfica and settle in the squad.